world news with charles gibson

In the continuing play of musical chairs at ABC News, Juju Chang has been offered the position of newsreader at 'Good Morning America,' AOL TV has confirmed.

The Emmy Award-winning Chang, who has previously served as a correspondent for ABC News' '20/20,' 'Good Morning America' and 'Nightline,' will replace former newsreader Chris Cuomo on the morning show.

With Sawyer's departure from 'GMA,' there's a seat on that program left to be filled -- and late last week we reported that George Stephanopoulos, ABC News' chief Washington correspondent and longtime host of the Sunday morning news program 'This Week', has been offered the gig, although no official word has been made.

If confirmed, this will also leave a hole in 'This Week' to be filled, perhaps by Robin Roberts, next year.

Including tonight's broadcast, Charles Gibson will occupy the anchor's chair at 'World News' just 11 more times before signing off permanently on Dec. 18, according to Variety.

In a statement posted on ABC's blog, 'The World Newser,' Jon Banner, executive producer of 'World News,' lauded Gibson, who has anchored the program since 2006. He noted how ABC is "preparing to see our very good friend and anchor off as he begins a new journey."

He has only been the station's lead news anchor since May of 2006 when he stepped in for Bob Woodruff who sustained injuries from a roadside bomb in Iraq. Woodruff and Elizabeth Vargas replaced World News Tonight anchor Peter Jennings who left due to medical reasons.

Walter Cronkite is a tougher act to follow than letting Metallica open for William Hung.

But now that the news legend and former most trusted man in America has passed on to that big newsroom in the great beyond, America needs someone else to trust. They need someone they can depend on to get the hard, cold facts about the important stories that truly affect their lives. They need someone to cut through the political haze of misdirection and mediocrity that cloud almost every major news story like a lingering beer fart.

That man is ... Jon Stewart. Don't like it? Blame the rest of the news media for not doing a better job.

I'm almost afraid to watch the news anymore. Let's face it - there's awful, horrible, tragic news everywhere, and most of the time, that's what the networks focus on. Are they TRYING to get us all depressed? Because it's working!

"Even with the economic crisis and the problems that affect so many people, we're trying to show that people can make a difference, both big and small," said World News executive producer Jonathan Banner.

Starting this evening (probably as I type this), ABC is debuting a new name for its nightly newscast. It's nothing radical; they've just removed one pesky word: "Tonight."

The decision to rename World News Tonight, which ABC has been using since 1978, to World News (actually, World News with Charles Gibson), is due to the fact that there is now an afternoon webcast attached to the program and updates made on ABCNews.com all day long. According to news president David Westin, "We are committed to expanding ABC News and World News into the 24-hour space created by the digital world, and it makes sense for that reality to be reflected in the title of the broadcast."

This TV Weekarticle also notes that this is the first time the broadcast's title has incorporated Gibson's name. Gibson, of course, took over the anchor spot in June.